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African religions and philosophy / John S. Mbiti

By: Publication details: London : 1988 HeinemannEdition: 2nd rev. and enl. edDescription: xiv, 288 pages ; 22 cmISBN:
  • 0435895915
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 299.6 MBI
Contents:
The study of African religions and philosophy • The early approaches and attitudes • Modern and current studies The concept of time as a key to the understanding and interpretation of African religions and philosophy • Potential time and actual time • Time reckoning and chronology • The concept of past, present and future • The concept of history and pre-history • The concept of human life in relation to time • Death and immortality • Space and time • Discovering or extending the future dimension of time The nature of God • The eternal and intrinsic attributes of God • The moral attributes of God The works of God • Creation • Providence and sustenance • God and afflictions • The governing work of God • God and human history • God and nature • Anthropomorphic attributes of God • God, animals and plants • God, natural objects and phenomena The worship of God • Sacrifices and offerings • Prayers, invocations, blessings and salutations • Miscellaneous other acts and expressions of worship • Religious intermediaries and specialists • Occasion and place of worship Spiritual beings, spirits and the living-dead • Divinities and God’s associates • Spirits • The living-dead The creation and original state of man • The creation and origin of man • The original state of man, and God’s provision for him • The separation between God and man Ethnic groups, kinship and the individual • The tribes, nations or people of Africa • Kinship • The family, the household and the individual Birth and childhood • Pregnancy • The actual birth • The naming and nursing of children Initiation and puberty rites • Akamba initiation rites • Maasai initiation rites • Nandi female initiation rites • Ndebele puberty rites Marriage and procreation • Preparation for marriage and precreation • Choosing the marriage partner • Betrothal and courtship • The wedding ceremony • Polygamy and inheriting wives or husbands • Divorce and separation • The place and use of sex in married life Death and the hereafter • Death among the Ndebele • Death among the Abaluyia • The cause and meaning of death • The hereafter • The destiny of the soul Specialists: medicine-men, rainmakers, kings and priests • The medicine-men • Mediums and diviners • Rainmakers • Kings, queens and rulers • Priests, prophets and religious founders Mystical power, magic, witchcraft and sorcery The concepts of evil, ethics and justice • The origin and nature of evil • Restitution and punishment • Summary and conclusion Changing man and his problems • The causes of this rapid change • The nature of this change • Problems of the rapid change Christianity, Islam and other religions in Africa • Christianity in Africa • Islam in Africa • Other religious traditions in Africa The search for new values, identity and security • The religious claim • The ideological claim • Conclusion: religion in the African dilemma
Item type: Book
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Includes bibliographical references and index

The study of African religions and philosophy
• The early approaches and attitudes
• Modern and current studies
The concept of time as a key to the understanding and interpretation of African religions and philosophy
• Potential time and actual time
• Time reckoning and chronology
• The concept of past, present and future
• The concept of history and pre-history
• The concept of human life in relation to time
• Death and immortality
• Space and time
• Discovering or extending the future dimension of time
The nature of God
• The eternal and intrinsic attributes of God
• The moral attributes of God
The works of God
• Creation
• Providence and sustenance
• God and afflictions
• The governing work of God
• God and human history
• God and nature
• Anthropomorphic attributes of God
• God, animals and plants
• God, natural objects and phenomena
The worship of God
• Sacrifices and offerings
• Prayers, invocations, blessings and salutations
• Miscellaneous other acts and expressions of worship
• Religious intermediaries and specialists
• Occasion and place of worship
Spiritual beings, spirits and the living-dead
• Divinities and God’s associates
• Spirits
• The living-dead
The creation and original state of man
• The creation and origin of man
• The original state of man, and God’s provision for him
• The separation between God and man
Ethnic groups, kinship and the individual
• The tribes, nations or people of Africa
• Kinship
• The family, the household and the individual
Birth and childhood
• Pregnancy
• The actual birth
• The naming and nursing of children
Initiation and puberty rites
• Akamba initiation rites
• Maasai initiation rites
• Nandi female initiation rites
• Ndebele puberty rites
Marriage and procreation
• Preparation for marriage and precreation
• Choosing the marriage partner
• Betrothal and courtship
• The wedding ceremony
• Polygamy and inheriting wives or husbands
• Divorce and separation
• The place and use of sex in married life
Death and the hereafter
• Death among the Ndebele
• Death among the Abaluyia
• The cause and meaning of death
• The hereafter
• The destiny of the soul
Specialists: medicine-men, rainmakers, kings and priests
• The medicine-men
• Mediums and diviners
• Rainmakers
• Kings, queens and rulers
• Priests, prophets and religious founders
Mystical power, magic, witchcraft and sorcery
The concepts of evil, ethics and justice
• The origin and nature of evil
• Restitution and punishment
• Summary and conclusion
Changing man and his problems
• The causes of this rapid change
• The nature of this change
• Problems of the rapid change
Christianity, Islam and other religions in Africa
• Christianity in Africa
• Islam in Africa
• Other religious traditions in Africa
The search for new values, identity and security
• The religious claim
• The ideological claim
• Conclusion: religion in the African dilemma

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